Apple Fields for truffles

Press, 8 December 1988, Page 26

Apple Fields for truffles

Apple Fields, the listed Christchurch orchardist, will begin farming truffles in Christchurch, with the aid of dogs.

The truffle, an underground fungus which attracts prices as high as $2200 a kg as a gourmet food overseas, has been farmed in Europe for centuries and is traditionally unearthed at harvest time by pigs. But Apple Fields project manager, Mr John Saunders, said yesterday Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries scientists were currently working with police drug-sniffing dogs to locate truffles. Apple Fields was developing 3 ha of land and planting 1800 truffle seedlings on the western

outskirts of the city, he said.

It would be the largest commercial truffle plantation, or truffiere, in New Zealand, he said.

The production of truffles in Europe had declined from 1000 tonnes a year at the turn of the century to 20 tonnes a year currently, he said.

But the demand for truffles was growing, and prices ranged from $ll5O a kg in France to $2200 a kg at Harrod’s London store.

Apple Fields expected yields of 30 kg by the seventh year of operation, and research indicated that yields of up to 100 kg a year after 30 years were possible, he said.